Trump ramps up his dangerous political rhetoric in final weeks of campaign

Over the weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris made stops in North Carolina, while out West, Former President Donald Trump ratcheted up his political rhetoric. Now both candidates are in opposite corners of one of the most important states in this election, Pennsylvania. Laura Barrón-López reports.

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Amna Nawaz: Turning our focus now to the 2024 presidential race, over the weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris made stops in North Carolina, while, out West, former President Donald Trump ratcheted up his political rhetoric.

But, tonight, both candidates are in opposite corners of one of the most important states in this election. That’s Pennsylvania.

Laura Barron-Lopez has our report.

Laura Barron-Lopez: This afternoon, Kamala Harris jetted off to the country’s largest battleground state. The vice president is doing in Pennsylvania as she did in North Carolina over the weekend, energizing Black voters. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump increased his extreme rhetoric, describing some American citizens as enemies.

Donald Trump, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within.

Laura Barron-Lopez: In a FOX News interview yesterday, Maria Bartiromo asked Trump whether or not Election Day would be peaceful.

Donald Trump: We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the — and it should be very easily handled by — if necessary, by National Guard or, if really necessary, by the military.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU History Professional: This kind of terminology is the terminology of dictators.

Laura Barron-Lopez: Ruth Ben-Ghiat an American historian and scholar.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Initially — and he’s been doing anti-immigrant rhetoric since 2015 — it was keeping people out so that you should militarize the border. But now it’s the enemy within. And that enemy can be anywhere, even in the heartland, such as Aurora or Springfield.

And, thus, he’s talking about using various types of armed forces, National Guard and, he says, even the military, to go and liberate these territories. And this is very dangerous rhetoric. It’s turning armed force against a domestic population, and that’s what dictators have done in the past.

Laura Barron-Lopez: Trump’s choice language didn’t stop at FOX News.

On Saturday, he described American towns as being invaded at a rally in Coachella, California.

Donald Trump: We’re like an occupied country. We got people taking over parts of Colorado. We have people taking over other states. November 5, 2024, will be liberation day in America, liberation day.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat: This is a strategy. The ultimate goal is to convince Americans that democracy is failing and that strongman leadership to fix everything, and Donald Trump will say, I alone can fix it, is supposed to be the answer. And so as soon as he would take over and go back to the White House, all of our problems would be solved.

But this is based on a fictional reality that’s been created by disinformation.

Laura Barron-Lopez: In Prescott Valley, Arizona, this weekend, Trump made a new immigration pledge, to add 10,000 agents to Border Patrol ranks and bump up their salaries.

Donald Trump: After I win, I will be asking Congress immediately to approve a 10 percent raise, haven’t had one in a long time, for all agents, at a $10,000 each retention and signing bonus. So we’re going to retain them. We’re going to retain them.

Laura Barron-Lopez: Across the country, at her own rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Harris, who released her own medical records on Saturday, took a swing at the former president’s lack of transparency.

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate: He refuses to release his medical records. I have done it. Every other presidential — every other presidential candidate in the modern era has done it.

He is unwilling to do a “60 Minutes” interview, like every other major party candidate has done for more than half-a-century. He is unwilling to meet for a second debate.

Laura Barron-Lopez: Back in Pennsylvania where the stakes couldn’t be higher, this festival in Greeley described by vendors as three days of God, guns and motorcycles, drew huge crowds of Trump voters.

With November 5 just three weeks away, die-hard Trump supporters are counting down the days.

Todd Herhart, Voter: We’re 23 days away from the election. And the days drag. It’s like a 10-year-old waiting for Santa Claus to come. The days just can’t get here fast enough.

Laura Barron-Lopez: For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Laura Barron-Lopez.